If they wait until after the Super Bowl to name their man, they will be in a league of their own.

It remains to be seen if the team will wind up attributing the delay to the rule that prevents hiring a coach in the Super Bowl until after the game is played. Possible front-runner Dan Quinn, Seattle's defensive coordinator, can't be offered the job until the night of Feb. 2.

Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine can be hired any time and was awaiting a second interview. Multiple reports indicate former Boise State and Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter has emerged as a fallback candidate.

Koetter's stock was on the rise when Arizona State went 9-3 in 2004, his fourth season. He was fired after going 7-5 and 7-6 the next two years, at which point he landed his first NFL job.

Koetter, who will turn 55 on Feb. 5, was offensive coordinator of the Jaguars from 2007-11, moving on after head coach Jack Del Rio got fired. He directed the Falcons' offense the last two seasons.

Interest in Koetter raises the question of why his former boss' name has not surfaced. Del Rio, 50, was 69-73 as Jacksonville's head coach. He has recharged his credentials as defensive coordinator of the AFC champion Broncos.

Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase took himself out of the running Tuesday.

Waiting on a Super Bowl participant is not common practice in the NFL. None of the 31 other current head coaches was hired coming out of a Super Bowl.